Odour extraction system for a toilet, urinal, bidet, and the like

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a toilet bowl odor extraction system 50 for extracting bad odor laden air from a toilet bowl  9.  The odor extraction system  50  includes a conduit  1  connected to the toilet bowl  9  rim area  23  and an extraction fan  3  configured to direct the odor laden air along the odor extraction route  8  from out of the toilet bowl  9  along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location  4  through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe  15  from where it enters the toilet bowl  9  and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the field of toilets and toiletaccessories.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] It is a well known fact that toilet smells are unpleasant.Furthermore, some toilet urinal configurations do not permit the rapiddissipation of the bad odours and thus persons entering a toilet cubiclesome time after the previous person has already left are confronted withthe bad odours.

[0003] The above problem also exists for urinals, bidets, and the like.

[0004] One solution to the above problem has been to employ anextraction fan mounted in a wall or ceiling of the toilet cubicle and toextract the bad odours therethrough. However, by its very nature, thistype of configuration requires a big extraction fan and results in thebad odours being drawn from out of the toilet bowl towards theextraction fan which could in fact worsen the situation.

[0005] Another proposed solution has been to extract the odour out ofthe toilet bowl directly by means of an extraction fan fitted to theoutlet pipe from the toilet bowl and connecting the toilet bowl theretoand expelling the bad odour into the drainage system. This has beenfound to be unsatisfactory due to back pressures and for other reasons.A solution to this secondary problem has been to fit a larger extractionfan.

[0006] The applicant is not aware of any proposals to alleviate theproblem for urinals, bidets, and the like. The usual solution forurinals is to place a disinfectant and/or a deoderising substance in theurinal thereby to mask the problem.

[0007] Thus, a need exists for an odour extraction system which will beeffective, economical to operate and reduce the inconvenience of badodours to toilet users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, there isprovided a toilet bowl odour extraction system for extracting bad odourladen air from a toilet bowl, said odour extraction system including aconduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden airfrom out of the toilet bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path toa remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supplypipe from where it enters the toilet bowl and supplies the toilet bowlwith flush water.

[0009] The odour laden air may pass from the toilet bowl along the flushwater supply pipe to be extracted to the remote location before a flushwater actuation valve so that the flush water does not push the odourladen air back into the toilet bowl.

[0010] The system may include an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent theflush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion of theextraction system.

[0011] The anti-siphon arrangement may be in the form of a conduithaving an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to a higher waterpressure than the water pressure in the flush water supply of the toiletat the point where the flush water supply and the odour extractionsystem are open to each other.

[0012] The conduit of the anti-siphon arrangement may be a pipeextending from the flush water supply pipe, past a cistern flush valveseat and closure member assembly and into the cistern to be open toatmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern water level, theextraction fan being in air flow communication with the headroom abovethe water level in the cistern thereby to extract the odour laden airdirected into the headroom by the conduit.

[0013] The conduit may pass out of the flush water supply pipe andbypass the cistern for direct connection to the extraction fan.

[0014] Likewise, where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphonarrangement may be the flush water supply pipe and an upwardly extendingextension therefrom extending from out of the flush water supply pipedownstream of the flush valve seat and closure member assembly and intothe inlet of the extraction fan.

[0015] The extraction fan may be a radial extraction fan. Due to theunimpeded flowpath of the odour laden air the extraction fan may besmall in comparison to existing systems.

[0016] Several toilet bowls can be connected to a single extraction fani.e. multiplexing several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.

[0017] The flush valve assembly by-pass system also permits leakage ofthe flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise beingheard at the odour outlet.

[0018] The above solution also applies to urinals having a urinal bowlhaving an inner lip of the rim through which flush water is routed froma flush pipe having an arrangement as described above for the toiletunit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will now be described, by way of illustration only,with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

[0020] In the drawings,

[0021]FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the odour extraction system of theinvention on a conventional cistern type toilet;

[0022]FIGS. 5 and 6 show different embodiments of the odour extractionsystem for cistern type toilets;

[0023]FIG. 7 shows an odour extraction system of the invention appliedto a cisternless toilet; and

[0024]FIG. 8 shows substantially in side view, a urinal for use by oneuser at a time, which includes a urinal odour extractor in accordancewith the invention.

[0025] In the Figures, reference numeral 100 indicates a toiletincluding an odour extraction system 50 according to the invention.

[0026] The toilet bowl odour extraction system 50 for extracting badodour laden air from a toilet bowl 9. The odour extraction system 50includes a conduit 1 connected to the toilet bowl 9 rim area 23 and anextraction fan 3 configured to direct the odour laden air along theodour extraction route 8 from out of the toilet bowl 9 along asubstantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location 4 through atleast a portion of a flush water supply pipe 15 from where it enters thetoilet bowl 9 and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

[0027] The extraction fan 3 may be an AC or DC or pelton wheel type fan.Typically the extraction fan 3 is a radial or drum fan.

[0028] The remote location 4 can be outside the building in which thetoilet is located or can be in the sewage outlet pipe 25.

[0029] The odour laden air passes from the toilet bowl 9 along the flushwater supply pipe 15 to be extracted to the remote location 4 before aflush water actuation valve 11 or pressure flush valve 18 (FIG. 7) sothat the flush water 6 does not push the odour laden air back into thetoilet bowl 9.

[0030] The system include an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent theflush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion 3 of theextraction system.

[0031] In FIGS. 1 to 4, the anti-siphon arrangement is in the form of aconduit 1 having an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to ahigher water pressure than the water pressure in the flush water supplyof the toilet at the point where the flush water supply and the odourextraction system are open to each other i.e. at the water level 6.

[0032] In FIGS. 1 to 6, the conduit 1 of the anti-siphon arrangement maybe a pipe extending from the flush water supply pipe 15, past a cisternflush valve seat and closure member assembly 11 and into the cistern 10to be open to atmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern waterlevel 6, the extraction fan 3 being in air flow communication with theheadroom above the water level 6 in the cistern 10 thereby to extractthe odour laden air directed into the headroom by the conduit throughextraction conduit 2 and extraction fan 3.

[0033] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 7 seals onto the cistern to preventingress of air thereby to ensure effective removal of the odour ladenair.

[0034] In FIGS. 3 and 4, an overlapping nozzle 12 is placed over theconduit 1 to facilitate extraction of the odour laden air.

[0035] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the conduit 2 passes out of the flush watersupply pipe 15 and bypasses the cistern 10 for direct connection to theextraction fan 3.

[0036] Likewise, where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphonarrangement may be the flush water supply pipe 15 and an upwardlyextending extension therefrom 2 extending from out of the flush watersupply pipe 15 downstream of the flush valve seat and closure memberassembly 18 and into the inlet of the extraction fan 3 for venting to aremote location 4.

[0037] The extraction fan may be a radial extraction fan. Due to theunimpeded flowpath of the odour laden air the extraction fan 3 may besmall in comparison to existing systems.

[0038] Several toilet bowls can be connected to a single extraction fani.e. multiplexing several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.

[0039] The flush valve assembly by-pass system also permits leakage ofthe flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise beingheard at the odour outlet.

[0040] In an arrangement such as that shown in FIG. 1 the cistern 10should be substantially air tight to prevent the odour laden air fromescaping as well as to maximise fan 3 efficiency.

[0041] In all the Figures, the remote outlet must be at more or lessatmospheric pressure to ensure easy venting, for example, by connectinga pressure equalising vent 22 (see FIG. 7).

[0042] The toilet bowl incorporating the odour extraction system may bemounted in a cubicle with the odour extraction outlet venting outsidethe cubicle outside a building in which the cubicle is located.

[0043] It is also possible to extract the odour laden air into thesewage outlet system 25 above the water level 17 thereby to achieve anacceptable result, albeit at a slightly higher pressure.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 8, reference numeral 10 shows a urinal,for use by one user at a time, which includes a urinal odour extractor20 according to the invention. In use, urine collects in a catchmentportion 12 of a receptical 13 of the urinal 10. The urine is flushedaway by means of a water flush 14 which discharges water into thecatchment portion 12. The water and urine is then flushed away through aflushing pipe 16 in fluid communication with the catchment portion 12.

[0045] However, a residue of water and urine is trapped in a trap 18 ofthe flushing pipe 16. It is to be appreciated that when urine is presentin the catchment portion 12 and/or the trap 18 it emits an offensiveodour which permeates the air proximate the urinal 10 and, inparticular, proximate the nose of a user which is proximate thereceptical 13 of the urinal 10.

[0046] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes odour extraction means 22for extracting the odour from the urinal 10. The urinal odour extractor20 includes an inlet conduit 24 connected to an inlet 34 of the odourextraction means 22. The inlet conduit 24 has a remote aperture 26connected to the water flush 14 thereby facilitating extraction of theodour through at least a part of the water flush 14.

[0047] The catchment portion 12 is bowl shaped and an outlet aperture 15of the water flush 14 may be located under an inner lip of an upperinlet rim 17 of the catchment portion 12 of the urinal 10. The rim 17 isnot parallel to the ground when the urinal 10 is in an installedposition but is tilted downwards on a side proximate the user when inuse. The outlet aperture 15 is located proximate the highest part of therim 17 allowing water which is discharged by the flush 14 through theoutlet aperture 15 to flow towards the lowest part of the rim 17 underthe influence of gravity and an initial discharge speed. While waterflows towards the lowest part of the rim 17, some of it flows downwardsinto the body of the catchment portion 12 thereby cleaning the catchmentportion 12 By connecting the inlet conduit 24 to the flush 14 the odourproximate the rim 17 is extracted along a flow path similar to that ofwater being discharged by the flush 14 into the catchment portion 12 butin the reverse direction.

[0048] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes a sensor (not shown) forsensing a presence of at least one user. In use the odour extractionmeans 22 is activated for an appropriate period of time, typically 10seconds, after the sensor senses the presence of at least one user,thereby extracting the odour from the urinal 10 and, in particular, fromproximate the rim 17 of the urinal 10.

[0049] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes a venting conduit 32connected to an outlet 36 of the odour extraction means 22 for ventingthe odour to a location remote from the urinal 10.

[0050] The invention is not limited to the exact constructional detailsof the invention as exemplified in the drawings and all variants fallingwithin the spirit of the invention are included herein as ifspecifically described.

1. A toilet bowl odour extraction system for extracting bad odour laden air from a toilet bowl, said odour extraction system including a conduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden air from out of the toilet bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe from where it enters the toilet bowl and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.
 2. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the odour laden air passes from the toilet bowl along the flush water supply pipe to be extracted to the remote location before a flush water actuation valve so that the flush water does not push the odour laden air back into the toilet bowl.
 3. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system includes an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent the flush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion of the extraction system.
 4. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the anti-siphon arrangement is in the form of a conduit having an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to a higher water pressure than the water pressure in the flush water supply of the toilet at the point where the flush water supply and the odour extraction system are open to each other.
 5. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conduit of the anti-siphon arrangement is a pipe extending from the flush water supply pipe, past a cistern flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the cistern to be open to atmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern water level, the extraction fan being in air flow communication with the headroom above the water level in the cistern thereby to extract the odour laden air directed into the headroom by the conduit.
 6. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conduit passes out of the flush water supply pipe and bypasses the cistern for direct connection to the extraction fan.
 7. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 3, wherein where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphon arrangement may be the flush water supply pipe and an upwardly extending extension therefrom extending from out of the flush water supply pipe downstream of the flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the inlet of the extraction fan.
 8. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction fan is a radial extraction fan.
 9. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein several toilet bowls are connected to a single extraction fan for the multiplexing of several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.
 10. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flush valve assembly by-pass system permits leakage of the flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise being heard at the odour outlet.
 11. A urinal odour extraction system said odour extraction system, including a conduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden air from out of the urinal bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe from where it enters the urinal bowl and supplies the urinal bowl with flush water. 